I dare you...
While the Hubs has been gone on another mini deployment,
Neflix has become a dear friend.
A friend that I can cuddle up with, eat dinner or too much dessert with,
and frankly, let's me shed my tears.
Well tonight I stumbled across a movie called Ragamuffin.
SERIOUSLY one of the best movies I've ever watched.
It's about the life of Rich Mullins.
An American contemporary Christian music singer and songwriter.
He didn't try to be liked by everyone, he just wanted to shout the truth to all those who were listening.
Whether you liked the way he delivered it or not, he was going to tell you.
I had no idea that he wrote two of my favorite songs:
And my new favorite song of his:
Especially during those lonely nights where I only wish Scott could be home to hold me tight as we fall asleep next to each other.
Or when I miss my family so much it hurts.
Or when I would rather be across the world on a mission trip.
"So hold me Jesus, 'cause I'm shaking like a leaf
You have been King of my glory
Won't You be my Prince of Peace."
So, about that dare...
I especially loved a part in the movie where the pastor made me cry. A much needed, heart-wrenching cry for my God.
One that just makes sense and doesn't make sense at all.
It was all about the depth of God's love for me.
For US, all of us.
A message that my broken, sinful, battered heart needed more than I needed the next breath of air.
Brennan Manning said:
"The Lord Jesus is going to ask each of us one question and only one question: Do you believe that I loved you? That I desired you? That I waited for you day after day? That I longed to hear the sound of your voice?
The real believers there will answer, “Yes, Jesus. I believed in your love and I tried to shape my life as a response to it. But many of us who are so faithful in our ministry, in our practice, in our church going are going to have to reply, “Well frankly, no sir. I mean, I never really believed it. I mean, I heard alot of wonderful sermons and teachings about it. In fact I gave quite a few myself. But I always knew that that was just a way of speaking; a kindly lie, some Christian’s pious pat on the back to cheer me on. And there’s the difference between the real believers and the nominal Christians that are found in our churches across the land. No one can measure like a believer the depth and the intensity of God’s love. But at the same time, no one can measure like a believer the effectiveness of our gloom, pessimism, low self-esteem, self-hatred and despair that block God’s way to us. Do you see why it is so important to lay hold of this basic truth of our faith? Because you’re only going to be as big as your own concept of God.
Do you remember the famous line of the French philosopher, Blaise Pascal? “God made man in his own image, and man returned the compliment”? We often make God in our own image, and He winds up to be as fussy, rude, narrow minded, legalistic, judgemental, unforgiving, unloving as we are.
In the past couple of three years I have preached the gospel to the financial community in Wallstreet, New York City, the airmen and women of the air force academy in Colorado Springs, a thousand positions in Nairobi. I’ve been in churches in Bangor, Maine, Miami, Chicago, St. Louis, Seattle, San Diego. And honest, the god of so many Christians I meet is a god who is too small for me. Because he is not the God of the Word, he is not the God revealed by it in Jesus Christ who this moment comes right to your seat and says, “I have a word for you. I know your whole life story. I know every skeleton in your closet. I know every moment of sin, shame, dishonesty and degraded love that has darkened your past. Right now I know your shallow faith, your feeble prayer life, your inconsistent discipleship. And my word is this: I dare you to trust that I love you just as you are, and not as you should be.
Because you’re never going to be as you should be.”
So, friends, I am passing on the dare.
I dare you to trust that Jesus loves you just as you are,
and not as you should be.
And then...be radically changed because of it!
